Seòmar agus comataidhean

That concludes our public business today. I thank all our witnesses for taking part and sharing their expertise.

The committee will move into private session to consider the remaining item on the agenda.

I have one last question before we finish up, which I will put to Keith Robson, Kenny Anderson and Jackie Galbraith. What impact will the tightening of college and university budgets have on provision for adult returners and student parents, particularly low-income parents?

I remind everybody to be more succinct in their responses, because we are running way behind time and a lot of members want to ask questions.

A very good morning, and welcome to the 16th meeting in 2023 of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee. We have received no apologies for today’s meeting.

Our first item of business is a decision on whether to take agenda item 3 in private. Do members agree to take that item in private?

Members indicated agreement.

Thanks, Jeremy. The next question will be from Katy Clark.

I believe that Jackie Galbraith and Sharon McIntyre want to come in. I remind everyone to be a little more succinct. Our next panel of witnesses arrives at around 10.10.

I am now going to pass over to Marie McNair before I bring in Jeremy Balfour.

That brings the session to an end. I thank the witnesses for their evidence.

Welcome back.??We will now hear from our second panel on employability programmes. Expanding employability provision is a key proposal in the Scottish Government’s “Best Start, Bright Futures—Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2022-2026”. In the context of the current budget pressures, it is unclear what progress has been made so far and what the role of employability programmes is in the current tight job market.

I welcome our witnesses. David Stewart, regional development manager at Fedcap Scotland, and Philip Whyte, director of the Institute for Public Policy Research Scotland, join us in the room. Marion Davis, director of policy, communication and strategy at One Parent Families Scotland, and Sarah McCulley, service manager for employment and training at Falkirk Council, who is representing the Scottish Local Authorities Economic Development Group, join us remotely.

As with the previous panel, before speaking, witnesses should wait until I—or the member who is asking the question—say their name to allow our broadcasting colleagues a few seconds to turn on their microphone. Anyone who wishes to come in on a question can indicate that by typing R in the dialogue box in BlueJeans. Please do not feel that you have to answer every question.

I invite members to ask questions in turn, as agreed in our pre-briefing.?

I invite Paul O’Kane to ask some questions.